5 UFC prospects who could push for a welterweight title shot in the near future
Historically, the UFC's welterweight division has always been one of the promotion's most stacked. Right now is definitely no exception to this.
The UFC welterweight title is currently held by Belal Muhammad, but the champion may find it hard to hold onto his crown, given the quality of the fighters chasing him.
Most notably, there are a handful of prospects climbing the ladder who look ready to make a push for the title at 170 pounds, freshening up the division in the process.
With that in mind, here are five UFC prospects who could push for a welterweight title shot in the near future.
#5. Michael Morales - UFC record 5-0
The latest fighter to break into the title scene at 170 pounds is Michael Morales.
The Ecuadorian prospect picked up his biggest win to date this past weekend, violently stopping Neil Magny in the first round to take his UFC record to 5-0 and his overall record to 17-0.
It's hard to play down the importance of this win. Magny isn't a title contender in his own right, but he's still a very tricky gatekeeper who is well used to turning back the challenge of highly rated prospects.
Morales tore right through him, though. He largely bullied the veteran standing before dropping him with a spinning elbow to escape a potential takedown.
What he did from there was most impressive, though. The Ecuadorian stayed calm, didn't rush his finish and instead took a dominant position to punish 'The Haitian Sensation' until he couldn't continue.
Morales appears to have everything needed to make it to the top. He throws thudding, powerful punches, has great cardio, a killer instinct, and judging by the Magny fight, he's more cerebral than we first thought.
Currently ranked at No.12, the Ecuadorian might need a few more fights before a potential title shot. To see him get to those heights in late 2025 or early 2026, though, wouldn't be a shock at all.
#4. Sean Brady - UFC record 6-1
The first UFC event of September will see one of the best welterweight prospects in action, as No.8-ranked Sean Brady faces former title challenger Gilbert Burns.
The fight is set to be Brady's first headline bout, and a win over 'Durinho' could propel him right into title contention, perhaps putting him just one fight away from a shot.
It's probably arguable that had he not suffered from numerous injuries in recent years, Brady would already be in contention. He put together a five-fight run in the octagon to climb into the top 10, only for current champ Belal Muhammad to stop that momentum with a TKO in late 2022.
Since then, the Philadelphia native has only fought once, whitewashing tough veteran Kelvin Gastelum before submitting him with a kimura in late 2023.
What makes Brady quite a unique threat in this division is that he's almost a pure grappler, in contrast to most of the fighters around him who rely largely on their strikes.
Essentially, if Brady takes an opponent down, they're in trouble.
If he beats Burns in their upcoming fight, would there be any money in a rematch with Muhammad? Perhaps not straight away, but one more win would definitely put him in the title conversation, by which point 'Remember the Name' may no longer be champion anyway.
In a stacked division, then, Brady could be considered the dark horse.
#3. Ian Machado Garry - UFC record 8-0
Once considered the 'new Conor McGregor' by some observers, right now it feels like Ian Machado Garry's hype train has slowed down a little.
That's somewhat surprising, given that the Irishman is now 8-0 in the UFC and has still not suffered a defeat inside the octagon.
The reasons for some fans souring on Garry are probably twofold. Firstly, he came under fire for his odd online feud with Sean Strickland that saw 'The Future' threaten to sue the middleweight star for comments made about his wife.
Secondly, Garry has seen his last three bouts go the distance after scoring highlight reel finishes in the two before that.
However, disliking his out-of-octagon attitude is hardly a reason to play down his fighting skills, nor is going the distance with tough foes like Geoff Neal and Michael 'Venom' Page.
At his best, 'The Future' remains a very difficult fighter for anyone to face. He is capable of chaining combinations together from unorthodox angles, he's strong from a defensive standpoint, and he's an excellent technical kickboxer.
There are some question marks around him, most notably in his wrestling and ground game. However, he's given observers no reason to doubt him thus far, and if he can get his long-awaited fight with Colby Covington and beat 'Chaos', a title shot could be within his grasp.
#2. Jack Della Maddalena - UFC record 7-0
Currently ranked at No.4 in the welterweight rankings, Jack Della Maddalena is already 7-0 in the octagon and has plenty of hype around him.
In fact, last summer, the Australian was tipped as a future UFC champion by former middleweight kingpin turned analyst Michael Bisping.
Perhaps the most notable thing about Della Maddalena's octagon run thus far is how much excitement he's caused when he has fought.
Five of his seven bouts have seen him claim $50k bonus awards from Dana White, and just two of them have gone the distance.
Bisping was quick to talk up the Australian's striking game, labeling him as one of the best pure boxers in the UFC. In his most recent fight, though, his standout characteristic was his sheer toughness and will to win.
Faced with a former title challenger in Gilbert Burns, Della Maddalena appeared to be on his way to a loss thanks to the grappling skills of 'Durinho'.
With time running out, though, he managed to scramble to his feet, landed a big knee to the head, and finished the Brazilian moments later.
Della Maddalena clearly has everything required to live up to Bisping's billing and become a future champion at welterweight. How far away from a title shot is he? Realistically, if he isn't awarded the next crack at Belal Muhammad, one more win would just about do it.
Right now, his next fight isn't booked, but when it's announced, it'll be well worth keeping an eye on. Expect him to challenge for the gold at some point in 2025.
#1. Shavkat Rakhmonov - UFC record 6-0
It feels likely that the next fighter to receive a shot at the UFC welterweight title will be Shavkat Rakhmonov.
Despite sitting at No.3 in the rankings, though, it's arguable that 'The Nomad' should still be considered a prospect. That's because realistically, nobody has been able to truly test him in the octagon yet.
That's not to say Rakhmonov has fought weak opponents. In fact, he's beaten three other perennially ranked contenders in Neil Magny, Geoff Neal and Stephen Thompson, and was somehow able to dispatch all three.
From what we've seen thus far, the native of Kazakhstan literally has no weaknesses. His kickboxing is amazing and he possesses knockout power, and at 6ft 1in has a long reach for a 170 pounder.
On the ground, meanwhile, he has shown a venomous submission game, becoming the first man to ever submit Thompson in his lengthy career in their 2023 fight.
Outside of that, 'The Nomad' has also shown strong cardio and a very durable chin, as he took some big shots from Neal, one of the division's heaviest hitters, without wilting.
When will Rakhmonov get his shot at Belal Muhammad? Recent reports suggest that it could come as early as December, something that would be highly welcome given he hasn't fought since the last month of 2023.
Can 'The Nomad' become the latest unbeaten fighter to win UFC gold, then? In all honesty, it seems probable - meaning that he could end up facing another of the fighters on this list for the title at some point in 2025.